


Now the Rains Weep O'er His Halls

by Yesserect



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Age of Calamity is going to destroy this in two days, Gen, Hyrule ends up in a four-way civil war, Inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:15:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27625256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yesserect/pseuds/Yesserect
Summary: TL;DR: Hyrule gets Game of Thrones'dThe five kingdoms of Hyrule had been united by the Hylian king, Rhoam Hyrule, for the first time in millenia. His champions had manged to hold back the return of Calamity Ganon, at the cost of the old king's life. Now, however a crisis of succession ensues: does the throne pass to Zelda, the more capable child and the legal heir under the laws of the Gerudo and the Zora, or to her younger brother Leonis, who would be the legal heir under the laws that the Hylian throne had followed for thousnads of years before? Meanwhile, the Rito wish to regain their independence, and the Yiga Clan are simply in it for chaos.Title is from "The Rains of Castamere"
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue

The morning was cold. The Rito's territory was always colder than the rest of Hyrule, but this morning seemed especially cold. The wind didn't help, seemingly roaring around them. The sun was just peeking over the mountains in the east, illuminating the distant banners in Lanayru. Whether it was actually much colder than normal, or just that the Hylians had been standing out on the landing for the better part of an hour, Gheriam couldn't tell you.

"Hylia, even the land doesn't want us here," he said half-jokingly to the king, quickly adding, "your highness."

  
The king gave him a stern look. He was a large man, tall, with flowing hair only showing the earliest hints of gray. "Don't give them any ideas," the king responded, "we're taking enough of a risk already just being here."

  
The king knew the risks of this. Why bring them here? While Gheriam considered it a fool's errand, Rhoam believed that this trip would be successful. Even still, Gheriam had managed to convince the king to make the lightest journey possible. The only ones that he had crossed into Tabantha were Rhoam himself, a small contingent of soldiers, his daughter who Rhoam refused to trust with the queen alone, and Gheriam himself. While Gheriam didn't see the need for him to go, Rhoam had insisted on the minister's presence. 

  
As for them, most of them stood in silence, watching the king. In fact, until Gheriam had broken the silence, the only sounds were the roaring of the wind, the cries of the king's newborn daughter at the stable, and the occasional click of talons on wood. That and the muffled sound of distant arguing, before one of the voices seemed to snap and the other one surrendered. A few of the children were at the base of the village, looking at the blasted machine that gave Rhoam this idea in the first place. If their parents had any sense, they would keep them far away from it. Well, at least a few did. He saw a few children scattered in the crowd - rose pink, leaf green, snow white, cobalt blue. 

  
Above them, the banners of the Rito flapped in the wind, gray and brown. Back when he was a child, they were a strong black and white, then green and yellow. The banners were always the colors of their Elder's plumage - it had been that way at least since the Rito had come to Hyrule half a millenium ago. Today, it was the most muted the banner had been in a century. Well, it certainly fits the mood of the Rito today, he thought.

  
_Click. Click click._ He heard the distinctive clicks of talons on wood, growing closer. Coming down the stairs was a Rito with storm-gray feathers and a hard expression. The right wing of the Rito drew his attention, however. Even from this distance, he could tell it was missing the flight feathers, from just below the shoulder all the way past the... whatever the equivalent of an elbow was in their wings. Instead, the inner side of the wing was laid bare, the flesh an angry red. That must have been the unfortunate soul that thought he could take on that machine. One shot from it, and it seemed that he may never fly again. If Rhoam hadn't stopped it, the machine would probably have killed him. The gray Rito approached the crowd, and there was a flurry of clicks as they let him pass. The storm-gray warrior stopped before the king, and for an instant he could see the malice in his eyes. The Rito slowly kneeled before Rhoam, the Rito in the crowd looking to one another.

  
"Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, King of Hyrule," the Rito began, venom oozing from each word, "Gheriam of Faron, Foreign Minister of Hyrule." The Rito looked to him for a moment before continuing. "I, Karranis Winterborn, First Warrior of Rito Village, do declare, on behalf of Elder Khalia and all the Rito, that Tabantha, Hebra, and the Rito are yours, now and evermore." 

  
That was it, then. For the first time in thousands of years, one of the races had submitted. With a nod of the king's head, a few Hylian soldiers marched up to the top of the village. The gray and brown banner of the Rito was lowered and, for the first time in half a millenium, the sky blue and white of the Hylians was raised above the spire.

  
Rhoam gave a quick, "thank you. You are dismissed," to the warrior, who walked back into the crowd. The wind had died down by now, and the rays of the sun had begun to warm up the air. Already, the cold had stopped stinging Gheriam's cheeks. Rhoam looked up, seeing the royal standard flapping above the spire. He walked through the crowd, raised his sword, and carved the royal sigil into the stone of the pillar. While on the outside, the rock had oxidized to a beige, on the inside it was charcoal black. Basalt, he remembered. 

  
Rhoam turned back to the landing, looking at the other banners flying across Hyrule, Gheriam following his gaze. While the blue and white of the Hylian royal family flew above Hyrule Castle and now Rito Village, he looked at the other banners. Gheriam considered this a great accomplishment, doing what no king had done in millenia, but Rhoam wanted more. Whether that was due to the rumors of the oncoming return of the Calamity - spread only by the most devout priests of Hylia, mind you, but Rhoam had convinced himself of them - or simply his own ambition, Gheriam couldn't tell you. But Rhoam gazed out at the red and gold of the Zora, at the green and gold of the Gerudo, and at the—well, the Gorons didn't have banners. _Three to go_ , whispered the king, barely audible. _Three to go._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited 11/24/2020 to fix inconsistent spelling


	2. The Rito Champion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revali arrives in Hyrule Castle at the behest of a summons of all of the Champions.

Seventeen years later...

The rain was pounding outside Vah Medoh, blown against its windows by the harsh wind. The storm had come in from the east across the sea like most of the late summer storms did. As it had been just appearing over the horizon, King Rhoam had summoned them to the castle. Well, Zelda had technically, but Revali would put money on her father being behind the decision like almost every time before. Apparently, they were there to try a new idea for unlocking the Princess' sealing powers. If it was like every time before, it would end in dissapointment, but Revali hoped that it would be different this time. The Calamity was drawing closer by the day—though nobody knew just when it would come. It would hopefully be years in the future.

Looking down at the castle, he could only just make out the lights inside through the rain. Looking at the oncoming storm, he had immediately decided to bring Vah Medoh over instead of flying himself. While it had nearly doubled the length of the trip, from 3 hours to 5, it saved him having to fly in this weather. Even with his mastery of the firmament and the use of his Gale, flying in weather like this would be a risk. Anyway, it wasn't likely for him to be the last Champion to arrive. While Zelda and Link would be there already, and Mipha may have beat him there if the currents were good to her—not a guarantee in this weather, but not an impossibility—but Daruk and Urbosa would take a few days to arrive. Goron City and especially Gerudo Town were in the furthest reaches of Hyrule, and they had the use of neither wings, fins, or a highly mobile Divine Beast. It was possible that the message hadn't even reached them yet.

Revali instructed Vah Medoh to circle the castle from above, with a loud _Scraaw!_ from it indicating that it had registered his command. He walked over to what the equivalent of Medoh's tailfeathers would be, the rain already soaking into his feathers. At this rate, they might get too soaked to carry him within minutes. Looking over the expanse of air beneath him, Revali found the shortest route inside the castle, taking him right in front of its walls to a large balcony. He took off, feeling the rush of the wind against his wings, the rain soaking into his flight feathers. As he followed the castle's edge, a sudden gust of wind came just as he passed in front of a window.

The next thing Revali knew, he was sitting inside the Great Hall surrounded by shards of glass with a few cuts on his wings and torso. Looking around, he saw the King, Zelda, and Mipha in some sort of discussion, with their backs to Revali, and the Hylian Champion standing off to the side. Revali had never liked Link—he had never seemed to react much to him, even when he demonstrated the Gale—but as of right now, he could be useful in getting the attention of someone who would be helpful. He raised his wings, preparing to sign to him and avoid the worst embarrassment, before Link simply nodded to him and started signing to Mipha. While Revali was out of practice with Hylian sign—he had never needed to use it much, as Link and he generally avoided one another—he could still understand enough to make it out. _Window, broken, behind you, hurt, raven, eagle._ Mipha turned around, and immediately rushed to him. After quickly inspecting his wings, Mipha raised his right wing onto a chair and held her hands over one of the cuts before speaking.

"I don't know what you got into your head that you would be so reckless Revali, but this is going to hurt," Mipha began, "I'm just thankful that I'm here."

Mipha was right: it hurt. A lot. It took all of Revali's willpower to not let out the most indignant squawk. After a minute or so, Mipha finished on the first cut, and while the skin and the down had grown back, the pinions were still missing. Hopefully he would start molting soon—he didn't need a mark of his failure on his wings for the next few weeks. When he returned, it wasn't likely that old Karra would let him live it down if he wasn't molting yet.

The old fool obstinately refused to listen to reason when it came to his position as First Warrior: he had been grounded permanently when Revali was a hatchling, and had given up trying to fight a few years afterwards. The fool had had more pride than sense, however, and refused to step down as First Warrior and let someone more qualified, like himself, take charge, instead choosing to study military theory (a now-useless skill, as the threat of a foreign invasion was an increasingly distant memory). That was what left Revali as Second Warrior since Ralin had stepped down three years ago. But while Revali was only Second Warrior, when Zelda (really Rhoam behind the decision, like always) came to Rito Village to look for a pilot for Medoh, she knew where the real skill was. And with Revali having the same argument with Karranis every few months, he would just start pointing to this incident in every debate.

When Mipha eventually finished, she walked him over to Rhoam, Zelda, and Link, still muttering under her breath about how reckless he had been. Revali wouldn't deign to give her a response: it was obvious that she didn't understand the situation, or else she would have understood that it was a necessary risk. As they reached the conversation, the King turned to Zelda and spoke.

"Would you like to tell your Champion how you wish to attempt to unleash your powers?" he asked.

Zelda answered in a clearly practiced manner—no doubt, Rhoam had had her memorize a script for this. "Now that I have been judged old enough to enter, I intend to visit the Spring of Wisdom at the summit of Mount Lanayru at the earliest possible opportunity. I hope you understand why this may be imperative for the fight against the Calamity."

"I understand. Approximately a fortnight then, counting the time that it would take for Daruk and Urbosa to arrive? They will of course take longer than Mipha and I did, as they don't have the gift of fins or wings." asked Revali.

"That would presumably be correct," responded Zelda in the same practiced manner. "Are there any further matters to discuss at the moment, or are we simply waiting for the Goron and Gerudo Champions to arrive at the castle?"

"Unless there is any urgent business that you may have, that would be all that there is currently to discuss. Shall I escort you to your chambers, or do you remember their location from your previous stays?"

"I remember well enough, thank you for the offer," Revali said. While Hylian soldiers had occupied the village when he was a child, and Rhoam had made frequent visits, his parents had thought it best to teach him his courtiesies to avoid any offense towards the Hylians.

Revali walked off, clicks following him from his talons against the stone. In one of the hallways, Revali caught a glimpse of blond hair before it turned the corner. That would most likely be Crown Prince Leonis. Leonis was Rhoam's son, and Zelda's younger brother. Under the traditional laws of Hylian succession, that made him the heir apparent to the throne, and he was named as such for all of Hyrule (though not without some grumbling from the Zora and the Gerudo, whose own laws of succession would put Zelda as the heir apparent). Revali had never truly understood the reasoning behind the hereditary succession—something about keeping the blood of the Goddess in power apparently—as the Rito had never used it, but he accepted it all the same. If the Hylian Throne wanted to use its own system, it was welcome to. It wasn't likely to affect him, as the transitions of power had been peaceful for centuries.

Revali called to the Crown Prince, remembering that he had shown some interest in Vah Medoh. Well, in the Divine Beasts in general, but Medoh was the only one that he was likely to see. Rhoam had always been a bit overprotective of his children, trying to ensure that the prophecies were satisfied exactly, and had become even more so after the late Queen Alys had passed away five years ago. Leonis was only four years old at the time, and it was clear that by the time Revali had become Champion, the pain still stuck with him. Revali had always had a soft spot for children: they were easy enough to impress, and they were the future of Rito Village. That was why he would invite them to the Flight Range for demonstrations of his skill—he had even considered taking one of them on as a student—and once or twice even up to Vah Medoh. That was why he had taken to taking Leonis under his wing (no pun intended) when he was appointed Champion: it was clear that the boy needed _someone_ , and Rhoam was too focused on holding the kingdom together and the oncoming Calamity to be that someone.

"Champion Revali!" the boy greeted as he ran into Revali's open, wet wings.

"Leonis!" Revali greeted. Rhoam was presumably out of earshot, and again, Leonis needed someone. "I haven't seen you in so long! How have things been?"

"They've been doing great! Noye has started teaching me about the Rito's history. That's your people! Did you know that they didn't originally settle in Hyrule?" asked the Crown Prince.

"I did! Just because I didn't get a teacher doesn't mean I can't teach myself. Have you read the book I left you?" asked Revali.

"I have! It's a great story, it made me ask Noye to teach me about Rito history."

"Remember, it's not a story. It's a real history of what happened under First Warrior Tulin."

"Are you going to get to stay this time?" asked the Crown Prince, changing the subject. Well, children would do that.

"I can't stay in the Castle for too long? Remember, I have important duties in Rito Village. But I'm actually here to go on a trip with your sister, and I'm going to see if I can convince your father to let you go along. How does that sound?" "It sounds great! Father never lets me leave the Castle though," Leonis responded, the smile on his face quickly dissapearing.

"He let you go to Zora's Domain, didn't he? You remember, when you took my feather? And anyway, once this storm clears, I have a bit of a surprise for you."

"What is it? What is it?" the boy asked, the smile creeping back up onto his face. "Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? But I'll give you a hint. When you go to bed tonight, go out of your room and stand outside on the balcony. You'll be able to figure it out from there. And speaking of going to bed, I'm going to have to go to my own room. I have to get ready to the big trip to Mount Lanayru with your sister. Go, see if you can find it on a map."

Leonis understood well enough not to follow him, at least. Whether or not he actually went to find it on a map or if he went straight to his room, that was essentially up to the toss of a coin knowing the Crown Prince. When he arrived at his chambers, everything was as he had left it. At least it was understood now that he knew the best ways for organizing what he kept here. The only thing was that there was a small fire burning in the fireplace, and from the looks of the logs it had been started recently. Probably as soon as one of the servants had seen his... arrival. There were a few shelves, organized neatly. One with books, both in Common Hylian and in the old Rito language (Zelda and Rhoam had insisted that he learn to read it to translate a few texts from the original Rito Champion about Vah Medoh, and thankfully there were a few Rito alive who still made a point of keeping the language alive). Another had various bundles of arrows, for Revali to use at the castle's archery range. While it was no Flight Range, he could put on a bit of a show for the Royal Guard there easily. Hanging up in the far corner, its view in most of the room blocked by the hammock Revali had strung up, was a copy of the picture that the Slate had taken before Daruk had sent them all sprawling to the ground. Revali believed that it was most embarrasing, but Zelda had insisted that he keep a copy of it, and that was the place where the fewest people would see it.

Looking out the window—thank Hylia it hadn't been this one that he had been blown through— the storm continued to rage to the west, but in the east he could see the end of the clouds over the ocean. It seemed that by morning, the storm would abate. Without a need for it, once he was done showing it to Leonis, Medoh could be sent back to its usual perch. Like the other Divine Beasts, when he wasn't actively training with it (or, in Medoh's case, using it for transport), he was encouraged to keep it at a good vantage point towards the castle. It was impossible to know when the Calamity might return, only that it would. It would be disastrous to the kingdom if the Divine Beasts were out of position, and the Calamity was allowed to rampage for that much longer. Revali had thought a few times before that it might happen while he himself was in the castle. Well, as far as he was concerned, if that happened, it would just be an excuse for him to show Hyrule where the real skill was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> list of things that aren't revali's friends:  
> windows


	3. The Crown Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonis experiences Revali's surprise for him, while a new mystery opens to the north.  
> Also sorry for updating this but I accidentally was an idiot and uploaded the pre-editing version instead of the final version

The temperature outside was cool, and below Leonis could see the dew reflecting off of the grass of Hyrule Field. He had only ever twice been in the field, and both times his father had kept him on a tight leash. Once was when he was brought to join Sister and Father at the first informal meeting of the Champions—that was when he had met Revali. Revali had taken a liking to him; he had shown him his amazing skills in the air and with his bow and had given that smile of his with his eyes when he had seen how impressed Leonis was. Leonis, being very young and never haven seen a Rito before, asked why he only smiled with his eyes. And, unlike his normal condescending self (or his stilted politeness before Sister or Father), Revali had explained it kindly to Leonis. Leonis had started seeking out his company after that, and Revali had quickly taken a liking to him.

  
There was one time where Leonis had even overheard Revali talking to Father about how he had just felt bad for him after losing Mother. It had been years now, though, and it hurt less than it did before, but Revali still stuck with him. Even now, he had offered him a surprise. Leonis thought that it might be something to do with Vah Medoh: when he had taken Revali's clue, he had looked up to find the Divine Beast circling over the castle. Leonis had been amazed by the Divine Beasts ever since a year ago when Father had brought him on some business to Zora's Domain. Leonis was supposed to pay attention and learn—at least, that's what his teacher Noye had said—but Leonis had instead spent most of it trying to braid one of Revali's feathers that he had plucked (at the time, he thought that he was being sneaky about it, but now he realized that Revali had probably let it happen) into his own hair. It was a sloppy job, and when Revali had seen it, he had chuckled a bit before taking it out and explaining that it was the custom of marriage among the Rito, and that Father certainly wouldn't allow _that_ , now would he? He had still had that same smile in his eyes, though, and Leonis knew that he wasn't mad.

  
Now was the day. Revali had brought Vah Medoh here just for him, and it would be one of the few things that he could keep a secret from Father. If Revali had gone through Father, then Leonis would have a full royal escort prepared already, and he would have been told days ago. He walked out of his bedroom and into the main part of his suite, where a pair of servants stood at the ready to groom him like they did every morning. Once the servants had deemed him presentable enough, he had rushed to the chambers of the Champions, being careful not to alert Father as to his presence. The last thing he needed was for Father to find out and to shut the whole thing down. He quietly knocked on Revali's door, and he heard the sound of talons on the stone. He pushed the door a bit, and it swung open.

  
Inside, Revali was sitting on the floor, his head buried in his wing, and he could see his beak moving along one of his feathers. Leonis had never seen him like this. Was he upset about something?

  
"What's wrong?" he asked.

  
Revali looked up from his wing, startled, but then that smile in his eyes came like every other time he had seen him. "Nothing's wrong. You just startled me."

  
"Then why did you have your head like that? I've only seen that happen when Sister is crying."

  
Another expression flashed through Revali's eyes, but it quickly went back to that smile. "It's something that Rito do called preening. We have to do it to keep our feathers in good shape. You wouldn't want me to be flying with my feathers in bad shape, would you?"

"How long does it take?" he asked. Now he was curious about it. He just hoped that Revali recognized his curiosity, and didn't see him as impatient.

  
"If I'm preening all my feathers, it takes all day. I usually do that up on Vah Medoh where I can have some privacy. Even then, I only do that about once a week. If I'm just preening my flight feathers, like I need to do every day, then it's only about twenty minutes. Don't worry, I'm only going to be a few more, I've already finished one of my wings and I just need to finish this one. Could you just close the door and wait a bit?" explained Revali, that little smile in his eyes.

  
Leonis did as Revali asked, and waited. A few minutes later, he heard footsteps behind him, then a door opening. He prepared himself for Father's scolding, but turning around he saw that it was only Princess Mipha. He bowed respectfully, like Father had had him taught to do, and addressed her politely.

  
"Good morning Princess," he began, "Is there something you need from me?"

  
"I just overheard a bit of your conversation with Revali. Please, forgive me for eavesdropping, but you said that you have seen Princess Zelda crying?"

  
"I have. Why do you ask?"

  
"I simply am concerned for her well-being. I will see to her."

  
Princess Mipha bowed to him, then turned and walked towards the Great Hall just as Revali came out of his own chambers.

  
"Have you had breakfast today, little lion?" Revali asked. 

  
Leonis liked it when he called him that. It made him feel strong, like he ruled his life like the lions used to rule Hyrule Field. Once even, Revali had told him that the name Leonis came from the ancient Sheikah word for lion. _Leo._ When Leonis had heard that, he had immediately thought how it sounded like "Lynel," and Revali had explained that the two words actually came from the same word.

  
"I haven't yet. I came straight here," he answered.

  
"Well, we can't have you heading about your day on an empty stomach, now can we?" asked Revali.

  
They walked to the Great Hall, where Princess Mipha had already sat herself down next to Sister and Link. Link was signing something, but Leonis hadn't been taught the language yet by Noye, and Revali wasn't good at it either. Sister glanced up at the pair of them, then watched Link's signing once more. While at first Sister and the other Champions had stared at them a bit, it had gone on long enough that it was seen as normal. 

  
They sat down, and one of the servants—Leonis found it impossible to avoid them in the castle—noticed and walked into the kitchens, a few seconds later coming out with a pair of plates. Revali's had a bit of ham and fish on it, the latter Leonis recognized as being cooked in one of the Rito dishes that he couldn't remember the name of. His own plate had toast, potatoes, and a rasher of bacon on it. Once, Leonis had asked why Revali's food was different from his, and he explained that just like Gorons had to eat rocks, Rito had to eat mostly meat, as they had a difficult time digesting anything else. 

  
Leonis set upon his own food, eating quickly out of his excitement (and the fact that Father wasn't there to scold him). Revali's eating was also quick, though he had to keep tilting his head up. Rito couldn't swallow like Hylians could, at least according to Revali, and they had to use gravity for it.

  
When they finished, Revali offered a wing to him. Leonis took it, holding the tip of it in his hands. He could feel Revali's alula—that was what Noye had taught him it was called—brushing against his knuckles. Revali led him up the stairs, and Leonis knew that they were likely headed up to the roof. Leonis had once taken these stairs out of curiosity before, and he had ended up there on the roof. When he had been found, it had led to a long scolding from Father.   
When they eventually reached the roof, Revali let go and looked up. Vah Medoh remained circling overhead, the blue of its lights blending in with the sky. Revali crouched down, with his wings to the ground.

  
"Grab on and hold on tight. I don't think you've flown with the Gale before, have you?"

  
Leonis had flown on Revali's back a few times before, but they were all gliding from one part of the castle to the next. Never had they gone anywhere that Revali would need to use his Gale to fly up to.

  
"I haven't. What's it like? How hard will I have to hold on?"

  
"It's going to be suddenly rising up quickly as you feel the winds from below you. As for how hard you need to hold on, do it as tightly as you can. We wouldn't want to risk you falling off, would we?"

  
Leonis climbed onto Revali's back, his hands gripping a group of his feathers as tightly as he could. He was scared that when Revali took off he would fall off and only be left with the blue feathers in his hands, but he was also excited for the chance to take off. Revali crouched down further, and Leonis could see, actually see, the air circling below them. Then, Leonis felt a sharp downwards tug—no, Revali was moving upwards—and they were in the air, rising higher and higher, the stone form of Vah Medoh growing larger and larger. They were headed right for its tailfeathers, and Revali kept the Gale going higher and higher until they landed on the stone. Leonis held on for a few moments more, still reveling in the exhilaration of it.

  
Revali broke the silence. "You can let go now Leonis, I won't let you fall off of Vah Medoh. Unless you want to go again?"

  
Leonis got off of Revali's back, stepping onto the stone. He looked out across Hyrule—he could see the ocean from here, and the sun glinting off of the luminous stones of Zora's Domain in the west, and turning to his right he could see the rock spire of Rito Village and even a few buildings in Gerudo Town over the mountains.

  
"This view... it's amazing. Do Rito get to see this every day?" asked Leonis.

  
"Not every Rito has Vah Medoh, do they? And without the Gale, they can't fly as high as I can. This view is special, it's just for you and me. Isn't that nice?" Revali answered.

  
"It is..." replied Leonis, "I'm glad that we have our special view."

  
"Come on," began Revali, "I'm sure you want to see inside. You'll be one of only four people who's seen the inside of Vah Medoh in 10,000 years. That's exciting, right?"

  
"It is! How does it stay up in the air though?"

  
"Well, your sister would probably be better to ask this question. She's much better with this kind of technology thing than I am. But it's probably those propellers keeping it in the air, or the stone might just be lighter than it looks. Anyway, I'll take you to Medoh's head. The windows there provide another great view. Haven't you ever wanted to look out of a Divine Beast's eye?"

  
They walked forward, to where there was a rising column of air and a large gap, with metal blocks on rails.

  
"Be prepared to keep your footing," Revali warned before Vah Medoh began to tilt in the air before Leonis' very eyes until it stopped with a loud _Scraaaw!_ The blocks were aligned, though, and Revali and Leonis walked across, Leonis holding on as tightly as possible to Revali's wing. They crossed the threshold into Vah Medoh's head, where there were large domed windows on either side, with the left showing a view of Rito Village and the Hebra Mountains, and the right one of the Lost Woods, Death Mountain, and Akkala. 

  
Leonis remembered from his lessons that the land surrounding the Lost Woods was for years some of the most hotly contested in Hyrule, but the forest itself was only for the Sword's Chosen. Leonis had asked what happened if someone else tried to go in, and Revali told him that he had tried to fly in once, but every time he ended up outside of it. Leonis looked out at Death Mountain, Vah Rudania sitting at the summit, ready to be aimed at a moment's notice.

  
"What if the Divine Beasts don't work this time?" Leonis asked, "How will we defeat Calamity Ganon then?"

  
"Well, if Vah Medoh doesn't kill Calamity Ganon, and Link and Zelda don't get to him first, I'll fly right to him and shoot him halfway to Termina," answered Revali, that smile in his eyes. Leonis knew him well enough that he didn't think it a serious possibility. "I'm the best archer in Hyrule, and I won't let him get to you."  


"And the other Champions? They'll be there too?"

  
"Yes, they will. I'm certain that Urbosa and Daruk and Mipha and Link will be there right beside me when we defeat the Calamity. And then I'll fly right back to you."

  
They stood in silence then, Leonis looking at the north of Hyrule, even beyond the Great Rift to the forest and hills beyond. Leonis could just make out a few darkened shapes at the edge of where the forest met Death Mountain in his field of view, and he assumed that was the village that Father had built on the other side of the Rift. Revali, meanwhile, ran his wing through his hair methodically. It was common enough among the Rito with close friends, if Noye was right about their culture. When he had asked Revali, he had confirmed that it was for very close friends and family and that they called it... what was the word again? Allopreening. That was it.

  
Revali eventually withdrew his wing from Leonis' hair. "Do you want to see Medoh's back? You can see the whole of Hyrule at once from there, and you can see how I pilot Medoh."

  
"You can see all of Hyrule from there? That has to be amazing!"

  
"It is, and you'll be the only one besides me to see the view from up there! Even when Link and your sister visited Vah Medoh, they never went up on its back when it was this high up. It can get a bit cold up there though, so just be prepared for that."

  
Revali was right. It was _cold._ Not like how the halls got in winter, no, this was really cold. Leonis held on to Revali's wing, trying to pull it over his shoulder, and Revali understood immediately. He looked down at Leonis, and held him beneath his wing, letting his feathers keep the cold air out. 

  
Leonis looked out at how he could see all of Hyrule below him, from the Sea of Faron to the forest beyond the Great Rift. And it was just for him. He and Revali. Leonis continued looking out at it, the roar of the wind from Vah Medoh's fans drowning everything else out until Revali bent down to him and spoke.

  
"It's time we go back down I think. We wouldn't want to stay up here for too long, would we? Just imagine your father's reaction if you were missing, and then if he found out that you were up here."

  
They walked to the edge of Vah Medoh, and Revali crouched down once more, leaving his back open for Leonis to grab on. He did, and they dove off, quickly flying down to a balcony on the edge of the castle.   
They walked in, hand in wing, and Revali kept leading him toward and into a familiar hallway, and it was soon that they stepped into the Throne Room, where Father sat upon his throne. It seemed that soon he would hold court, and then Leonis would be forced to attend like he always was. If he was lucky, then he would at least be allowed to have Revali sit next to him, though the Rito Champion was almost never allowed to unless he had some business of his own. 

  
Come to think of it, he had never seen any Rito—or Gorons for that matter, with the exception of a few times with Champion Daruk—sitting in the court unless they themselves had some pressing matter. Leonis made a mental note to ask Revali or Noye why later (probably Revali—he would explain it nicely, while Noye would do it in the same tone he always did where the answer was seemingly the most obvious thing in the world to him). Revali walked them before the throne before he kneeled before Father as all the others did.

  
"Your Majesty," Revali began, still not looking up at Father.

  
"Arise, Champion Revali. Your service is much appreciated, and I thank you for keeping an eye on my son. While I am not officially holding court yet, is there some matter you wish to discuss, or have you simply brought Leonis for it?" spoke Father in the same formal tone he used in court. It seemed that he was _trying_ to put you to sleep with it.

  
Revali stood up, letting go of Leonis’s hand. "As a matter of fact, I do have a bit of business for you. As you know, once Champions Daruk and Urbosa arrive, the Champions intend to go with Princess Zelda to Mount Lanayru. I would propose bringing Crown Prince Leonis on this trip, and allowing him to stay in Kakariko or Hateno Village."

  
A confused expression appeared on Father's face. "What would be the necessity of this? It would place him at undue risk compared to the safety of the castle, and ensuring the proper safety would be very expensive, though I excuse you for not knowing the latter part. Considering you have never seen the inner workings of government, unlike the other Champions."

  
"Tell me, Your Majesty, when you first united Hyrule, were you welcomed with open arms by all of the people of it? I truly ask as I was only a hatchling then," asked Revali.

  
"They did not. I was seen as a foreign usurper from Zora's Domain to Gerudo Town, and even in your own Rito Village. Do you remember how I had to maintain active forces in Rito Village? That was the case elsewhere in Hyrule as well. However, nearly two decades of good governance and of personal diplomacy have given me more love from those people."

  
"Ah, but there is the problem. You have shown them that Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule is a good king, not a foreign usurper. What of Leonis Kharial Hyrule? He is not known, not truly, by anyone outside of the Hylian nobility and of the Champions, and that will not be enough to solidify his rule. And he should not be the king of a land that he does not know. I would propose bringing him first to Kakariko or Hateno, as he will already have every Champion, the best fighters in Hyrule, to defend him if things go south, and it is unlikely that the Yiga Clan would be able to pull off an assault that far from their base without some sort of prior warning."

"You make a good point,” Father said and then hummed to himself in thought before continuing. “I will allow Crown Prince Leonis to attend and will arrange for him to stay in Hateno Village while you go to the summit of Mount Lanayru. However, if anything goes wrong, I will hold you personally accountable. Do you understand, Champion Revali?"

  
"I do, Your Majesty. Thank you for your consideration and your time."

  
Revali bowed, then walked out, leaving Leonis alone with King Rhoam. Rhoam directed him to sit where he normally did, at the edge of the bench closest to the throne on the left side, and eventually, Sister came and sat behind him, with Princess Mipha sitting next to him. More nobles trickled in, and eventually, court began to be held, with Rhoam hearing each petitioner in turn. 

  
There was a dispute between the boundary of the lands of two nobles which Father ordered a new survey for. Then there was a report of the monster population growing too large for comfort outside of Lurelin Village, and Father claimed that he would send the Royal Guard to deal with the issue at the earliest opportunity. Then came a thin man with the look of the Ridgelands to him.

  
"Your Majesty, there is something concerning happening in the north. We have not had any contact from the northern frontier in several weeks. When I sent men to investigate, they never returned."

  
Father paused for a moment. "This is concerning. Once their business at Mount Lanayru is complete, I will launch an investigation, led by one of the Champions. I hope for answers as soon as possible."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this! Sorry for the late update, but I have the next chapter in the process of being rewritten and a good start on the next one after that.


	4. The Appointed Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Link and Zelda visit the Spring of Wisdom, one of their last chances slips away.

The morning was unseasonably warm, and Link felt on edge. Not because of the weather, or even because of the risk of failure. There was just something that felt wrong. The others felt it too. Revali's crest was raised high, Zelda was giving nervous glances back and forth, Mipha kept fidgeting with her hands. Something was wrong and none of them knew what. That was the feeling as they climbed the mountain in silence.

  
Looking to the south, Link could see the Crown Prince's entourage as specks in the distance, just passing through Fort Hateno. They had split up the morning before at Kakariko Village after staying the night. Zelda and Revali had been saddened a bit by the departure, but that was to be expected. Leonis was Zelda's sister, and Revali had a close bond with the boy. In fact, the boy had snuck out of Zelda's room and into the one that Link and Revali slept in. While Revali had been irritable and just wanted to get to sleep before, as soon as Leonis came in he was animated and genuinely kind. The Crown Prince had woken up to the sight of navy blue feathers that morning.

  
As they began to approach the top, Link remembered the plan. The Champions would be waiting below, as the summit of Mount Lanayru was only for the Princess and him. Revali would be circling above, looking for any sign of trouble—now would be the perfect time for the Yiga Clan to strike. Link and Zelda would ascend the last section on their own to the Spring of Wisdom. There, the Princess would pray to Hylia, and hopefully unlock her sealing powers. From there, they could defeat the Calamity when it came. That was how it was going to go.

  
Looking ahead, Link could see the gate at which they would split up. It was millenia old, ivy growing across it, much of the wall crumbled. Mount Lanayru loomed ahead. Link heard a strong flap, and Revali was in the air. Well, so much for a goodbye from him. Though, he supposed, Revali would be seeing him the whole time. At least it was better than "good luck sealing the darkness!" Mipha, Urbosa, and Daruk each offered their blessing to Zelda, and he recieved a quick wave from Mipha.

  
The climb was long, cold and hard. Not for the first time, Link wished that he might trade places with Revali. Normally, it was because of the burden he faced. He was ripped from his peaceful life by pulling a sword, and soon Champions had been assembled and he was being carted around Hyrule with the Princess. If he wanted the sword, Link would let him have it. Revali just had to ask. Now, though, it was more that he wished for feathers. They would do wonders in keeping him warm.

  
As they reached the top, Zelda stepped forth carefully into the cold water. Cold was a bit of an understatement, actually. Near the edge there was a thin layer of ice on the surface of the water. Zelda kneeled down, and began to silently pray. Once a minute or so, Link saw Revali's shadow pass over the mountain in the waning light. It was after seventeen passes that Zelda stepped out, tears covering her face. She wiped them off—both due to the stinging cold and due to not wanting to be seen like this. Link made a mental note to tell Mipha to speak to her afterwards.

  
As they descended, the mood was even worse. No words passed between them; they already knew what this meant. Zelda had failed. Link considered what he could say to console her when they got to the base of the mountain. Would he tell her that they would have more chances? About how Link himself had faced great difficulty in pulling the sword? Above, Link saw Revali fly down and wait by the gate with the other Champions.

  
As they reached the gate, Daruk broke the silence first. "Well? Don't keep us in suspense. How'd everything go up on the mountain?"  
After a moment of silence, Revali spoke up next," So you didn't feel anything? No power at all?"

  
"I'm sorry, no," Zelda answered.

  
Urbosa reflected the same sentiment as Link. "Then let's move on. You've done all you could. Feeling sorry for yourself won't be of any help. After all, it's not like your last shot was up there on Mount Lanayru. Anything could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away. We just have to keep looking for that... thing."

  
Link locked eyes with Mipha, a silent plea for her assistance, while Zelda answered Urbosa. "That's kind of you."

  
Mipha answered Link's plea. "If I may... I thought you... Well, I'm not sure how to put this into words... I'm actually quite embarrassed to say it. But I was thinking about what I do when I'm healing. You know, what usually goes through my mind... It helps when I think—when I think about—"

  
Mipha was cut off by the ground shaking beneath them. Revali took off as the skies darkened. When he landed, he said only two words.

  
"It's here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH HELL THIS CHAPTER GAVE ME  
> Sorry for it being short I just cut it down to the bare skeleton it needed after weeks of trying to make it work  
> anyway next chapter is the calamity and then we can finally start the plot!


	5. Calamity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Calamity.

**The Scourge of Vah Medoh**

  
It came into being. It knew only stone and metal, flying high above the skies. It waited for its order. The order came.

  
. -..- . -.-. ..- - . / --- .-. -.. . .-. / -.... -....

  
 _Acknowledged_ , it responded in the same code. It would wait for the Champion to come, thinking themselves able to defeat the Calamity, that they were still in control of their Divine Beast. As they tried to fire Vah Medoh's main turret, it—Windblight was its name—would spring forth from the terminal, and do its designated purpose. Kill the Champion or die trying. If it succeeded, it would lie in wait for the next one willing to try their luck against it.

  
Windblight heard the click click that it knew—somehow, it knew—was the sound of a Rito landing on stone. It prepared to spring forth, and it heard a voice outside.

  
"Medoh, did you have to choose now of all times to not respond to me? Well, no matter. I can do it manually."

  
It felt the brush of a wingtip against the terminal, and it knew to spring its trap. Windblight jumped out from the terminal, a swirl of malice, and felt for the first time the air against its body. It had one purpose. Kill the Rito. It calculated a 74% chance of victory, and a 97.4% chance of success in its mission.

  
"Well, Ganon, seems like you've played your little trick. No matter. I am the best archer of all the Rito. "

  
The battle started. The Rito made one powerful flap and took off, its blue form entering the sky. No matter. Windblight was made to kill Rito. It aimed its cannon, and the Rito flapped out of the way at the last second. The Rito nocked an arrow, and it struck Windblight in a powerful explosion. But Windblight was designed for this. It could take bomb arrows.

  
The next time the Rito shot an arrow, Windblight teleported away, knowing the risk to itself. While it could take bomb arrows, the number it could take was finite. Windblight prepared to use the Rito's skill against it. The Rito's signature move was to manipulate the winds; Windblight could do that and more. It created tornadoes—how it knew how to do so, again it didn't know. It just did. The Rito flew right into one of them, pulling it towards the hard stone of the Divine Beast. It escaped the winds, however, with that same powerful flap.

  
Looking at the Rito, Windblight could see confidence in its eyes. Confidence in its abilities. Confidence in that it would win. That same dance of arrows, lasers, and wind continued for several more minutes, until Windblight knew that it might be on its last leg. That it might actually lose. That was when it pulled out its last trick. It raised the barrier, red light surrounding them all, just as the Rito pulled up into it. It hit it, hard, and Windblight hit it in the leg with a laser. It fell from the sky onto the hard stone.

  
It was clearly injured, its bow and quiver lying on the ground next to it. Windblight could leave it alone. It would die from blood loss in a few minutes more, or else from exposure. Windblight would grant this small mercy. It aimed its cannon at the Rito's head.

  
The Rito said something under its breath. All Windblight heard was Leonis... I'm sorry. The RIto grabbed its bow, and nocked a bomb arrow. At this close of a range, the Rito would be caught in the explosion. It fired, and Windblight knew in this last moment that it had served its duty. It calculated an 86% chance of the Rito dying from blood loss or exposure in the next 24 hours without intervention.

  
**The Blood of the Goddess**

  
It was here. The skies had turned black when Calamity Ganon had arrived. The guardians had started to burn an angry red, and they began firing on them. They had quickly chosen to make their way somewhere safe. Hateno Village was furthest from the Calamity, and it would give them the chance to protect the Crown Prince. They were passing by Fort Hateno, when Link was hit.

  
No. She couldn't fail like this. She had already failed too many times, and now Hyrule was paying the price for it. She couldn't fail their only chance.

  
A bright, white light eminated from her hands. The Guardians fell away, quickly being disabled by the light. Her powers, she immediately thought. She had unlocked them only as Calamity Ganon had already arrived, just a few moments too late. Zelda carried Link through the fort, many of the soldiers having died inside already from the guardians.

  
She looked up, and suddenly, the black sky turned a bright red, coming from the west. _The Calamity has taken Rito Village_ , Zelda thought for a moment, before she looked up. Piercing the sky from Hyrule Castle was a great red beam, with Vah Medoh at the other end, it's previously magenta lights burning a bright blue against the red and black of the sky. And where the beam fired, the malice burned away, like fog under the sun.

  
That, Zelda knew, was a sign that they had a chance. The Divine Beasts would weaken Ganon. If Link were to stay strong enough to get that last prophecized hit, then she could seal the Calamity. She turned around, and carried Link back to Fort Hateno. Three more blasts. That was all they needed. Three more, and they could reach the castle.

  
She found a horse in Fort Hateno's stable. This could carry them. They would make their way to the Castle. Already, Zelda could see some guardians turning around and fleeing from her. They knew how it would end if they tried to engage her. Well, it was a chance for her to succeed. To do what Father had always demanded of her, but she had never been able to deliver on. Now was her chance to seal the Calamity.

**The Zora Champion**

  
She swam towards Vah Ruta. She had made her way through the rivers to the Domain, and warned the others of what had happened. The Palace Guard had been mobilized already, protecting the entrances into the Domain. If any guardians or monsters tried to get in, they would have a hard time doing so. As she approached the entrance, she thought of Link, of Sidon, of all those she had to protect. This was how she could do it. Mipha stood by the threshold, ready to move Vah Ruta into a more useful position.  
Vah Ruta didn't respond.

  
She could still pilot it manually. She had done that originally, before Vah Ruta had taken its place in her mind, and she knew how to do it. It wouldn't be as quick or easy, but it could be done. She ran to the main control terminal as fast as her legs could carry her. Something felt wrong, she could sense that, but she didn't know what. Mipha pressed her hand against the terminal, trying to initiate control over the Beast.

  
From the terminal came a red and black ooze flying past her. The same color as the malice that made up the Calamity's form, it flew back, amassing behind her into one form. It was a horrific mix of malice and Sheikah technology, and looking into its mechanical eye, she knew it was meant to kill her. From its arm it created a long spear, and readied itself to throw it.

  
Mipha took her trident in hand. If it wanted to fight, then she was ready for it. She wasn't just a healer. It threw the spear and Mipha jumped out of the way. Just a second later and she would have been hit. Running forth, she stabbed her trident into the Malice, ready to jump back. It was regenerating its spear, and Mipha used the opportunity to get away from the blight.

  
That was when its arm lashed out at her. She could feel the bone break underneath its grip, her broken leg keeping her in one place. She could heal herself. She could still—no, she was done. It stood above her, before pushing its spear through her gut, dissolving it and readying a new one. She was going to die.

  
That was when the blight melted away, malice retreating to the right of the room.

  
**The Flightless Warrior**

  
Karranis watched his warriors battle the monsters below. He fired what arrows he could from the landing, but it would be too dangerous for him to head down himself. Karranis was himself a warrior—First Warrior, in fact—but the scars on his wing that Rhoam had given him seventeen years ago kept him grounded. Karranis was just thankful that they had only seen a few of the Calamity's corrupted guardians.

  
"Buron! Further to the left!" he commanded, seeing a weakness in the formation below. The tongue he used to give the command was one used by Warriors for millenia to communicate over long distances.

  
That was what he had spent the past... 17 years it was now... studying. After he had been made useless on the front lines, his only remaining option was military theory. And so he studied it. He had a duty to the Rito, and he had failed it before. He would not fail it again. Not against Rhoam, not against Leonis when he came of age, and certainly not against Calamity Ganon.

  
"Buron Summerborn! Did you hear me? Further to the left, you're leaving an opening there!" he commanded once more at the top of his voice.

  
"No, look. They're... they're turning around. They're retreating!" came the reply, cautious optimism apparent in his voice.

  
Buron was right. They were retreating. Specifically to the north. Dozens of monsters ran north without even glancing at the Rito to their left. And looking up... that was impossible. Calamity Ganon's form was melting onto the ground north of the castle, its malice flowing north. Into the Great Rift. Well then. It appeared that the Champions had succeeded. Vah Medoh's laser, followed by Vah Naboris', had hit Calamity Ganon, and he had seen brilliant white light approaching the castle. That must have been Zelda and her sealing power. Karranis let the barest hint of a smile come across his red eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Windblight POV was an experiment, please tell me if I did it well because I plan to have something else similar in the future


	6. The First Warrior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karranis deals with the aftermath of the Calamity, before facing his reconfirmation and learning of the fate of King Rhoam.

The light of the stars was only just beginning to pull out of the darkness. The moon, once an angry red, was fading to its normal gray. Karranis could see Malice melting northwards, crossing the Great Rift. The Calamity was over. The Rito had survived, thanks to the skill of their First Warrior and their Champion. Any minute now, Revali would be flying down, basking in his glory and success. He would come down and rehash the same old arguments for Karranis' retirement. Karranis was already thinking of how to tell him that if it weren't for his skill down here while Revali was galavanting around on his Divine Beast, Revali wouldn't have had a Rito Village to come back down to.

  
But Revali didn't come down.

  
Karranis feared the worst. While Revali didn't have much, if any, skill in command (Hylia help the RIto the day that he becomes First Warrior), he was still the most skilled fighter under his command. The Champion would be of use in the wars to come. Karranis Winterborn knew this.

  
Karranis called down to his Third Warrior. Below, Inali took off, catching the updrafts in her wings like he could not. Inali was a thin Rito with cyan plumage, her eyes as gold as any. _Her_ eyes, for she was one of the few women accepted into the ranks.

  
She, like Karranis, had a natural talent for command. While the position of Third Warrior hadn't existed until he created it for her, he hoped to groom her for the position of First Warrior. If Revali were ever to take command, then they would all be doomed.

_Click-click_. Inali came down to land, her talons clicking on the spruce platform. Karranis saw in her feathers the way she was reveling in their victory. She took a second to look around, before coming right out with it.

  
"Where is Second Warrior Revali? Certainly, he is to thank for our victory, is he not?" she asked, cocking her head to one side.

  
"He never came down from Vah Medoh. Something is wrong. Knowing him, he'd already been flying down here to regale the story of his victory to anyone who he could get to listen. I need you to fly up there and figure out what's going on," he answered, not letting his worry seep into his tone.

  
Inali nodded, before leaping once more from the platform and letting the updrafts catch her wings. Karranis would have done it himself if it weren't for what Rhoam had done. The Hylian's guardian had shot him out of the sky, and the feathers had never grown back where it had scarred him. He was missing the flight feathers down much of his left wing, and he was permanently grounded. It would never be forgotten who had done that to him.

  
Karranis felt the chill at the edges of his scars, where the down had never grown back. Certainly, it was cold on the rest of the scar as well, but Karranis couldn't feel it. But, still, it was cold that night. 

  
It always was in Tabantha, even in summer, let alone winter. Winters were bad enough that the Rito would not name their hatchlings until they had survived their first winter, for there was no guarantee that the hatchling would survive. For the first few months of his life, Karranis was known only as Winterborn. But even in summer, it was cold in the night; he would best warm himself up. 

  
Karranis looked around and saw a few of his warriors gathered around the fire. His talons clicked against the wood below him as he walked to join them before sitting down next to the fire. One of them—Kiali, he remembered—turned to face him and spoke.   
"We've done it," he began excitedly, "We beat the Calamity! This... we all must have done so well if we—"

  
"You did your duty," Karranis began, cutting him off. "Now that victory is assured, that is all that needs to be said on the matter."

  
"As you wish it, First Warrior," he responded in a mocking tone, "I'll do my duty and shut my beak."

  
Karranis didn't take the bait. There were more pressing issues at hand. He let Kiali and the others regale the stories of their victory. It always was a good boost for morale, and if the east was as hard hit as it appeared to be, then this would be a chance. He would need every advantage that he could get his alulas on if he were to take it.

  
Minutes later, Karranis saw a shape flying down shakily from above. _Why in the name of Hylia is Inali flying so recklessly?_ he thought before he saw what she was gripping in her talons. As she came to a landing, he saw the form of Revali on the edge of consciousness, his cobalt blue feathers stained a deep purple. On the landing, Karranis could see the crimson spilling out. 

  
_Oh._

  
Karranis immediately rushed over and took Revali in his wings, freeing Inali's talons so that she could land.

  
"Kiali! Find Reni or Misa and get them over here as fast as you can! The Second Warrior has been gravely injured in battle. Remember your duty to the Rito," he commanded to the first face he saw. "Inali, help me make sure nothing's broken. What happened up there?"

  
"There was a trail of blood leading across half the back of Vah Medoh," Inali began quickly, feeling over his wings. "From that and the state I found him in, there was probably some sort of fight up there."

  
"Then we're lucky to still have him, with how reckless he is," Karranis replied, removing Revali's armor. It was clear that he was injured somewhere beneath there, the question was just where. Looking over the navy Rito, he found a large wound on his right side, similar to his own scars. Similar, but not exactly the same. 

  
Revali was lucky enough to keep his flight feathers, while Karranis wasn't. If they gave him a few weeks and he'd be back to normal, while Karranis was still grounded. 

  
Karranis almost envied him. He would never have to learn the way Karranis did, struggle the same way that he had. But no. Now was not the time for envy. Now was the time to be thankful that he still had a Second Warrior. His duty to his warriors was not yet complete, it seemed.

  
Feeling over Revali's chest, he found at one point that the Rito grunted with pain. Feeling over it again, another grunt. Well, that was not a good sign. It felt to him like the Second Warrior had a broken rib. That would add a bit longer to his recovery time, but it was still nothing that he couldn't fully recover from, unlike Karranis.  
He heard the distinctive _click-click_ of talons landing on wood the way that he could not behind him, then another _click-click_. Turning to face the origin of the sound, he saw Reni and Misa, the village's resident healers, looking at Revali with concern evident on their faces.

  
"Inali and I have done a preliminary check on him. It seems that he has a broken rib and some pretty bad burns on his torso, but no other broken bones. He was probably hit by some sort of guardian like I was," Karranis stated, looking to them. "I'll see that he's exempted from his reconfirmation tomorrow. We'll have it for him once he's recovered."

  
Reni turned towards him. "Thank you. I can handle him from here. Misa, you can go tend to the other wounded."

  
Karranis turned to Inali and nodded to her before they both walked away from the injured Revali and let Reni begin her work. Karranis turned up the spire while Inali turned down. He had some business to attend to with his men.

  
Karranis knew that the victory and the ensuing celebration would be good for morale. That would be imperative in the future; a demoralized army falls apart at the slightest pressure, after all. However, he had to keep it in line. There was a fine line between good morale and a lack of discipline, and Karranis intended to keep the Warrior Corps on the better side of it. 

  
A few hours of keeping his rowdy men in line later, the worst of it was dying down as the adrenaline was wearing off of the crowd and exhaustion set in. Karranis was headed to his roost, and Hylia knew what Inali was getting up to. Karranis knew that she wouldn't want him to know what she was doing, though. And as long as she didn't get herself hurt, Karranis didn't care.

  
Walking up the stairs was one of the worst parts of it. Near the bottom of the spire now, he would have to walk up nearly the entirety of the basalt pillar. The First Warrior traditionally roosted just next to the Elder, and so it was always a long walk. He looked out to see one of the other RIto flying up, catching the updrafts in their wings. If he still had his flight feathers, if he could still do that, then it would be a different story. But there was no use thinking about what could have been, only what is now and what may be.

  
Arriving at his roost, Karranis let himself into his hammock and closed his eyes. The reconfirmation of the First and Third Warriors would be tomorrow, and he would need to be well-rested if he were to continue in his position. And he would need to remain First Warrior to fulfill his duty. 

  
The test was traditionally given on the first day of autumn every year. Of course, the Calamity had to appear on the last day of summer, then. Revali would have to delay his reconfirmation due to his injuries, but Inali and Karranis would have to do it the day after the battle against the Calamity. He was confident with Inali's ability to complete it, but his own was uncertain.

As he drifted off to sleep, his dreams turned to the moment with the guardian. 

  
Flying, he was flying above the mechanical monster, drawing his bow, when it turned to face him. A beam of light came to his wing, but he kept aiming at it until there was a bright flash. 

  
Falling, he was falling uncontrollably, his wings unable to catch him. His entire left side felt like it was on fire, and turning to see it, Karranis saw what remained of his flight feathers on his left wing burning. _Burning._

  
When he hit the ground, it changed once more. Now he was bowing before the Hylian who had taken his flight, pledging his fealty to him. The Karranis Winterborn of seventeen years ago had sworn never to forget what King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule had done to him. And he had sworn to complete his duty to the Rito.

The next morning, Karranis woke just as the first hints of sunlight were appearing at the horizon. He normally woke up before the village like this, but even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. 

  
The reconfirmation would occur maybe an hour after sunrise, and he would need to be as awake as he could for it. He turned out of his hammock and turned to one wall where his falcon bow hung. Inspecting it, he found that it was in satisfactory condition considering the task at hand and slung it over his back.

  
Walking out, Karranis felt the sting of the cold morning air along the rough edges of his scars. It was a cold morning, just like the one seventeen years ago where he had bowed down. But Karranis did not forget his duty to the Rito, and he would have to remain First Warrior to fulfill his duty. He ran his good wing along the basalt pillar, feeling the rough stone against his alula. When he felt the marking that the Hylian usurper had carved into the rock, he turned his gaze left.

  
Around the landing was a set of targets, the test of their skills. They would have to hit all of them within a certain amount of time to prove that they still had the skill needed to retain their post. While it would be trivial for an uninjured Rito of any decent skill, many were high enough that they were only barely reachable from the ground. If Karranis would have had the same Gale that Revali did, or even just his flight feathers, then it would be simple. But here, it was the greatest challenge he faced each year.

  
He took the seat traditionally designated for the First Warrior—just to the left of the Elder's seat (though this year, and for several years past, the Elder's declining health and mental abilities led to her nominating a judge in her stead)—and waited as Rito slowly began to file in. 

  
The reconfirmation wasn't a particularly interesting ceremony without Revali showing off in every way that he could. Every warrior was required by tradition to attend, and a few parents might bring their children to see their First Warrior, but the crowds would be relatively small this year.

  
After about an hour and a half of Karranis waiting patiently—though based on how many of the earlier arrivals were absentmindedly preening their feathers, he was the exception—the appointed judge and Inali arrived.

  
Inali took her seat to Karranis' left, in the new place reserved for the Third Warrior, while the chair of the Second Warrior remained empty. The ceremony would begin promptly, with the judge having arrived. Revali didn't need to be present for it to start. The judge stood up and began reading in a monotone voice the memorized traditional speech.

  
"Today, we gather to witness the potential reconfirmation of our First, Second, and Third Warriors. Our First Warrior is Karranis Winterborn, our Second Warrior Revali Autumnborn, and our Third Warrior Inali Summerborn. I, Kazari Autumnborn, have been named to judge this ceremony in the stead of Elder Khalia Springborn. Before I begin to explain the process, are there any objections to the prompt reconfirmation of any of those named?"

  
That was Karranis' cue. He stood up and turned towards Kazari, beginning to speak. "Second Warrior Revali was injured in battle yesterday. The reconfirmation cannot occur promptly as he is still recovering from his wounds; I propose that his reconfirmation be delayed until the soonest possible date after our healers deem him in a fit state to resume his duties."

  
Kazari had been expecting this and read out another memorized line. "Are there any objections to First Warrior Karranis' proposal?" After a few moments of silence, he continued. "The motion is sustained. Second Warrior Revali Autumnborn will have his reconfirmation at a later date after he has recovered from his injuries. Due to Second Warrior Revali's reconfirmation being delayed, if First Warrior Karranis is to fail his reconfirmation, then Third Warrior Inali will become Acting First Warrior until Second Warrior Revali's reconfirmation. If both First Warrior Karranis and Third Warrior Inali fail their reconfirmations, then the longest-serving warrior, Nekk Springborn, will become Acting First Warrior until Second Warrior Revali's reconfirmation."

  
Kazari continued to drone on, but it was clear that nobody—including Karranis—was paying attention. The procedure was the same that it has always been: hit the ten targets in five minutes, you will be provided twenty arrows, on and on and on. Eventually, Inali was called up. She stood and bowed before Kazari and Karranis before Kazari turned over the sandglass and declared that time had started.

  
Inali began immediately, firing at each of the four targets on the ground. One arrow missed, and she fired again at the target. Maybe thirty seconds had passed total, and she had already hit four of the ten targets. She lept off of the landing and caught the updrafts, carrying her up before she dove into the space, firing at two of the remaining targets. That was six that she had hit now, and only on her first dive. It would take only two or three more and she would be reconfirmed.

  
She lept off once more and prepared for her next dive, but she missed one of the targets she shot at this time. Seven targets, about a minute and a half elapsed. The next dive brought her to nine, and she shot the remaining target from the ground. About half the time had elapsed.

  
Kazari began to speak his memorized lines once more. "I judge Third Warrior Inali to have succeeded in her task, hitting all ten targets within the allotted time. As such, she will remain the Third Warrior unless she is promoted to higher office due to the failures of one or both of First Warrior Karranis or Second Warrior Revali. If there are any objections to the judgment of Third Warrior Inali to have succeeded in her reconfirmation, now is your time to voice them."

  
Another moment of silence passed before Kazari continued. "In that case, let it be entered into the record that Third Warrior Inali Summerborn has completed her reconfirmation successfully. As Second Warrior Revali's reconfirmation has been delayed due to his injuries, I call upon First Warrior Karranis Winterborn to begin his reconfirmation."

  
Karranis stood up and walked forward onto the landing, hearing both his heartbeat and the _click-click-click_ of his talons on the wood surface. He turned back to face Kazari and Inali, looking to Kazari and waiting for him to begin his practiced line.  
"Karranis Winterborn, First Warrior of the Rito, in the name of the Goddess Hylia I offer you this trial," Kazari stated plainly before turning over the sandglass.

  
Karranis wasted no time taking his bow from his back and nocking an arrow. He turned to the closest of the targets, Inali's arrow still in each one, and fired.

  
_Thwack!_ The arrow stuck into the cloth target, and Karranis turned to the next one.   
Nock, draw, loose, _thwack!_ Another hit.  
Nock, draw, loose, _thwack!_ Nock, draw, loose, _thwack!_

  
That was the easy part done. He had hit the four grounded targets, and looking to the sandglass, it showed that maybe thirty seconds of his time had passed.

  
He had four and a half minutes for six targets. That was forty-five seconds per target. Looking up at the lowest, he nocked the arrow and aimed carefully before drawing and loosing. 

  
_Thwack!_ That was maybe fifteen seconds and another hit.

  
The next lowest was a bit higher but much closer to where Karranis was standing. The First Warrior hit it easily. That was six targets hit, four minutes for four targets. 

  
These last four targets were very high up though—most Rito (with the obvious exception of Revali, who could just Gale himself up however close he wanted) did their best to hit them on a dive. Karranis picked an arrow and nocked it. He drew and loosed, but the arrow hit too low. Karranis put a bit more force into it, and hit the target with a satisfying _thwack!_

  
Seven targets hit, three to go. Karranis turned up to the next one, preparing to hit it. 

  
Nock, draw, loose, too low. That was the result of the second arrow as well. He still wasn't able to hit it on the third or fourth. It was his fifth arrow that eventually hit it.

  
He looked over to the sandglass. Two minutes for two targets. It was entirely possible that he would lose his position as First Warrior. Karranis could feel a bit of fear in the pit of his stomach, and it was likely that his crest was raising, his black tailfeathers pressed against his legs.

  
But now was not the time to fear that he would lose his position. Now was the time to keep that from becoming a reality. He nocked another arrow and aimed at the next target, even higher than the last.   
Nock, draw, loose, miss. That was the story of his first arrow, his second, and so on until his sixth. 

  
He ran over as fast as his talons could carry him to pick up his nine missed arrows, bringing the total in his quiver back up to eleven. The last target was the highest of them all, and he had only just over a minute left if the sandglass was any indication.   
Karranis nocked an arrow, drew, loosed, missed his first shot. Another miss, and another. 

  
Thirty seconds left. Another miss. 

  
Twenty seconds. Another arrow. 

  
Nock, draw, loose.

_Thwack!_

  
The arrow stuck into the target, with only a few seconds left to spare. Karranis let a wave of relief wash over him before he turned to Kazari. The brown-feathered Rito nodded to Karranis, and Karranis let out the breath that he had been holding. He waited for Kazari to begin speaking, and after silencing the crowd with a gesture, Kazari began to speak.

  
In the same memorized, monotone voice, he stated, "I judge First Warrior Karranis to have succeeded in his task, hitting all ten targets within the allotted time. As such, he will remain First Warrior. If there are any objections to the judgment of First Warrior Karranis to have succeeded in his reconfirmation, now is your time to voice them."

  
One young Rito child stood up and spoke. "He didn't fly though! How can he have won if he didn't fly? How can he be First Warrior if he can't fly?"

  
Nobody in the crowd had been expecting this; unless there was a clear dispute over a rule violation (which there was not), or if there wasn't a procedural motion that had to be filed (like earlier today), the asking for objections was mostly ceremonial. Kazari had still memorized this part of the script, however. There was a bit of a smile visible in his eyes, but he read it anyway.

  
"Please hold any further objections until this objection is resolved. There is an objection on the basis of First Warrior Karranis not flying during his reconfirmation. Does anyone second this objection?"

  
There was a moment of silence before Kazari began speaking. "The twofold objections rule has not been met. The objection is dismissed. Are there any further objections to the judging of First Warrior Karranis to have succeeded?"

  
Another moment of silence passed. 

  
"In that case, let it be entered into the record that First Warrior Karranis Winterborn has completed his reconfirmation successfully. As Second Warrior Revali's reconfirmation has been delayed, that is all the reconfirmations to be completed today. Is there any other business to be called to motion?"

  
There was one final moment of silence before Kazari spoke up once more. "If there is no further business, I call for this meeting to be adjourned."

  
Karranis turned to leave, only for Kazari to come to him.

  
"A letter arrived early this morning, addressed to you and Elder Khalia. It bears the Hylian Royal Seal," he began, "the Rito who delivered it had been flying essentially since the Calamity ended."

  
"I will attend to that. Thank you for informing me," he answered, cutting Kazari off. Karranis briskly turned to walk up the stairs, running his left wing against the pillar. 

  
Whatever the Hylian King could want with the Rito, it wasn't something that Karranis was looking forward to. When he arrived at the Elder's roost, he found Inali standing in there, holding the sealed letter. Elder Khalia was staring blankly at the space in front of her, as the aged Rito had a tendency to do; her mental faculties had left her years ago.

  
She nodded to him as a short greeting, then said, "I'll be reading it out,"as she took the letter from its envelope and unfolded it. "To Elder Khalia and First Warrior Karranis of Rito Village: When he is fit to travel after having recovered from any injuries, Champion Revali has been summoned by King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule to the Castle on important business. I request that he arrive as soon as he can, as His Majesty was gravely wounded in the Calamity, and I fear that his time in this world may be short. If, Hylia forbid, His Majesty was to die before Revali would recover, the summons would still stand under his heir Leonis. Signed, Lord Antarys Hyrule."

  
Karranis took a moment to process what that meant. 

  
Revali was summoned. That was to be expected, he was summoned all the time for the business of the Champions. Though, the real concern was the fate of the Hylian king. His death would destabilize the realm most certainly. His heir was still a young child. 

  
This was an opportunity.

  
"Inali," he began, "meet me at the Flight Range as soon as you can. Make sure that nobody else is there."

  
It was a risky plan, and most certainly treason, but Karranis would not pass up this opportunity. He had a duty to the Rito, and he had failed it seventeen years prior. No matter who opposed him, he had to try. The Hylian King had struck him down and ruined his life all those years ago.

  
And Karranis Winterborn did not forget a slight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update but I just love Karranis and I'm hoping I get a good start to the Rito plot!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading the start of what will probably end horribly (both about the quality of the fic and for all the characters involved). This prologue is set 17 years before the main story. Thanks to mycatboo and unavoidablekoishi for reading this and telling me it's not absolutely terrible.


End file.
